1902.] THE CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. II 5 



put in charge of a committee consisting of J. P. Barstow, E. H. 

 Hyde, and S. O. Vinton, and the organization of the school 

 was intrusted to T. S. Gold, J. B. Olcott, and S. W. Johnson, 

 who were authorized to visit the agricultural school at Guelph, 

 Ont. 



In 1881 the first prospectus of the school appeared. It 

 was issued in July and widety distributed. The school year 

 was to consist of three terms of twelve weeks each, beginning 

 the last Wednesday in September, with two weeks out for vaca- 

 tion during the holidays and one week in April. The terms of 

 admission were that the students must be citizens of this State, 

 or the sons of citizens, and at least fifteen years of age, that they 

 should bring with them a certificate of good character, and 

 that they should be subjected to an examination in reading, 

 spelling, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, American 

 history, geography, and practical agriculture. The full course 

 as it was mapped out was to occupy two years, and a tuition 

 fee of $25 was to be charged, except that the charge might be 

 removed in exceptionally worthy cases. The statement issued 

 early in September shows that the course of study in agricul- 

 ture included the handling of crops, the management and care 

 of farm machinery, agricultural science, including agricultural 

 chemistry, physics, mechanics, botany, zoology, the correct 

 writing and use of the English language, arithmetic, and ele- 

 mentary geometry, together with simple carpentry and smith 

 work. 



Here is the routine of the day in the school when it was 

 first started: Rising bell at 6.30 a. m., breakfast at seven, 

 prayers before recitations, lectures and recitations from eight 

 to twelve, dinner at 12.15 P- m., compulsory work on the farm 

 from two to five p. m., supper at six, and study hours from 

 seven to nine. 



The first officers in immediate charge of the school were 

 Mr. Solomon Mead, principal and professor of agriculture; 

 H. B. Armsby, Ph.D., vice-principal and professor of agri- 

 cultural chemistry, and B. F. Koons, Ph.D., M.A., professor 

 of natural history. 



The first commencement exercises were held in June, 1883, 

 and six students had parts that day. 



The report of nine years later, or of 1890, shows that the 

 whole number of students was 51, the whole number of 



